by Cristin Terrill
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published September 3rd 2013 by Disney Hyperion
ISBN 1423176375 (ISBN13: 9781423176374)
Blurb
"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.
Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.
Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.
All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.
The Good
- The suspense and pace. From the first page, this book grabs you and doesn’t let go. This book had one of the best first chapters I’ve read in a long time, and the billion questions it raises are only built upon more and more as the story continues. This kept me turning pages as quickly as possible—there was never a dull moment. I found myself constantly worried for all the characters, wondering what the hell was going to happen. This was definitely a story where I couldn’t clearly predict how the story would end, which I love!
- The confusion. Initially, the characters reference people, places, and events that aren’t fully explained, leaving the reader feeling disoriented and out of touch. Oddly enough, I really enjoyed this feeling, and I felt like it facilitated the fast pace and suspense that helped to make this book so unbelievably addictive.
- The lack of a true villain. The way this story is constructed, the good guys and the bad guys are in fact the same people, regardless of which way you look at it or whose side you’re on. I felt like this was really unique and gave the story an added layer of complexity.
The Bad
- The lack of character development. I really really loved this book, but at the same time I feel like the characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked. We’re given facts about them and mini-flashbacks, but because the story is so plot-driven, we don’t ever get a really good sense of who they are. When I was done reading, I didn’t feel like I had really gotten to know any of them, Finn in particular.
Overall Rating
My gosh I loved this book. It was clever, suspenseful, fast-paced, and high addictive. The fact that there was no real “bad guy” since it was really more a struggled between past and present was unique and interesting. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good, fast-paced, suspenseful read, keeping in mind that this is a plot-driven story and the character development is not the best.
Thank you to Netgalley.com and Disney Book Group for allowing me to review this book! Review copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.